The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market will be open on Canada Day with a bouncy castle, live music, Beeper the Clown, and lots of fresh local produce.

Photo credit: taybeer.com

Summer Reading
Pour yourself a cool drink, find a shady spot for your chair, and enjoy a good read as we travel from Spain to Cambodia, New Mexico, and Palestine.

Spain’s Solidarity Fridge Several towns in Spain have set up a “solidarity fridge” where residents and restaurants can drop off leftover or unused food that would otherwise be thrown out. “This isn’t charity. It’s about making use of food that would otherwise end up in the bin,” says Alvaro Saiz, Galdakao. A restaurant owner says, “Before we used to throw away a lot of food – and it was food that was fine to eat. . . . It’s like giving our food a second chance to end up in someone’s stomach.” (The Guardian)

Balsamic Vinegar in New Mexico
In a ghost town on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico, a retired couple are following Italian methods to recreate traditional balsamic vinegar. (The Art of Eating)

Monday, June 22, 2015

Chef Jenni @ Creekside Orchard
Chef Jenni will be dishing up a four-course meal at Creekside Orchard, Melfort, on July 8 and 9. Call 306.921.6423 to make a reservation as seating is limited.

Wine with a View
Enjoy a glass of fruit wine and a light meal on the outdoor patio at Riverlot Orchards Winery near St. Louis. They’re open from 1-8 pm, Thursday-Sunday. Wines include honeysuckle, plum, sand cherry, and many more. I’d opt for the 3 oz. samplers of 5 different kinds of wine.

Living Sky Café
Have any of you tried the food at the Living Sky Café in the (former) Mendel Art Gallery? I’m curious.

A Bakery Hotel? Yes!
I’m intrigued. The Praktik Bakery Hotel in Barcelona has an artisanal bakery on the ground floor with a window so that you can watch the bakers at work.

Craft Cider
I’m happy to see an increased interest in craft ciders. They’re a great addition to the Okanagan’s repertoire of fruit, wine and farms. My brother and his wife sampled the ciders from BX Press near Vernon. I love the labels.

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post regular profiles of culinary entrepreneurs, new restaurants and new food products.

You can follow Wanderlust and Words on Facebook, Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Monday, June 15, 2015

Prairie Harvest Café
We had a lovely supper on Prairie Harvest Café’s outdoor patio last week. The vegetarian lasagna and the gnocchi were topped with housemade ricotta (optional) and equally delicious.

Fun de Lentil Contest
If you love lentils, you’re in luck. For the month of June, three local restaurants are highlighting lentil dishes as part of the Fun de Lentil Tour and Contest. Calories is serving a vegetarian, Persian-inspired lentil and quinoa dish with sour cherries and dates. I tried the Lentil and Polenta Fries at Prairie Harvest Café and they’re great. Ayden’s is also using lentils in one of their dishes.

Fruit for Thought, Regina Fruit for Thought is an urban fruit foraging organization in Regina. In Saskatoon, we have Out of Your Tree. And if you’re trying to figure out what to do with excess rhubarb, you can trade it for a margarita at The Hollows or baked goods at Three Sisters/Nestor’s Bakery.

Industrial Artisan Bread
Can bread be both handcrafted and industrially manufactured? Triticum, a Spanish company, makes its bread using artisan techniques (organic flour, 48-hour fermentation). Then the bread is partially baked (60-65%) and deep frozen before being sold to high-quality restaurants.

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post regular profiles of culinary entrepreneurs, new restaurants and new food products.

You can follow Wanderlust and Words on Facebook, Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Monday, June 8, 2015

Gluten-Free BeerPaddock Wood Brewing Co. is working on a gluten-free quinoa stout. If it passes the taste test (can't be boring), it will go into production.

Hort Week, July 4-12
Improve your gardening skills and learn fascinating facts about gardening history during Hort Week, sponsored by the Master Gardener Program at the U of S. Courses range from rooftop & container gardening to planning your garden for maximum nutrition and the time travellers’ garden: ancient Egypt.

Sutherland Farmers’ Market
There’s a small farmers’ market at St. Paul’s United Church, Sutherland (105th Street & Egbert Avenue), on Thursdays from 11-6. The Cake Witch is there with all her lovely German cakes.

Showcasing Local Lentils
Lentils are a fabulous source of cheap, locally grown protein. Chef Rémi at Calories is serving Persian Lentils with local quinoa and sour cherries as part of the Fun de Lentil Tour. Vote now and vote often for this innovative recipe that showcases lentils rather than simply including them as a side dish alongside meat or fish.

Bureki, Ef-Zeen Greek Cuisine

Ef-Zeen Greek Cuisine
Have you tried Ef-Zeen Greek Cuisine’s ready-to-eat Greek salads, pizzas, and meals? They purchase many of their fresh ingredients from fellow vendors at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. I particularly like the Lahanopita with cabbage, zucchini, carrots, herbs and feta cheese. This week I tried the Bureki – eggs, sweet peppers and feta cheese in phyllo pastry. They are a lovely appetizer.

Ef Zeen also caters and delivery daily and weekly menus.

Odd Couple Restaurant
I had supper at the Odd Couple Restaurant last week and am so impressed by the quality of their dishes – lovely fresh vegetables and lots of flavourful vegetarian options.

Vegan Farmstay
Take a break from the city at the Forever MicroRanch Sanctuary, an animal refuge near Climax in Southwest Saskatchewan. Spend time with the animal residents, visit Grasslands National Park and enjoy home-cooked vegan meals.

Citizen Café’s Morning Buns Citizen Café and Bakery serves a savoury bun. Instead of sugary fillings like cinnamon, sugar and raisins, the buns contain tasty combinations such as mozzarella, bell pepper and basil pesto or artichoke and caramelized onion. Enjoy a bun fresh for breakfast or take it home, add a bowl of hearty vegetable-rich soup and you have a quick, tasty supper.